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Disaster Response Plans

The term "disaster" has been defined in the broadest sense by Chief Charles Bahme as a "sudden and extremely unfortunate event that affects many people. It could also be described as a misfortune which reaches large proportions; 'catastrophe' and 'calamity' are often used as synonyms." In a narrower definition, the length of time the event lasts, the number of casualties and the extent of property damage can also be used to determine whether an event can be appropriately defined as a disaster.

However, it is not necessary that fatalities or casualties be limited to human beings, nor is it private property which alone can be damaged when evaluating disasters. The oil spill generated by the grounding of the Exxon Valdez affected not human populations, but various wildlife. Similarly, the property that was polluted by the incident was publicly as well as privately owned.

In recent years, the fire department has become increasingly involved in disaster control; this is a natural extension of the fire department's characteristics and functions within the community. There are several reasons which support the use of the fire department in disaster response, and if the department is to be used to a maximum level of efficiency and effectiveness, it is necessary for the department to prepare a plan to support its role in disaster control.

A disaster plan endeavors to forecast the impact of a specific event and develop responses that can alleviate the impact on the community. At the very least, disaster planning forces the department to identify the first and prompt actions that may be unusual when compared to typical responses, but necessary when weighed against the scope of a disaster.

A plan also solves the problem of determining who will be responsible for what actions in the event of a disaster. Disasters typically stretch across geographic boundaries, and may involve more than a single municipality or agency. Thus caref...

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Disaster Response Plans. (1969, December 31). In LotsofEssays.com. Retrieved 11:40, March 29, 2024, from https://www.lotsofessays.com/viewpaper/1711911.html